I Need More Elbow Room
by AshesAshesWeAllFallDeepDown
Summary: Describing this is so odd. It's basically a High School AU. The difference in certain character personalities will be explained, and backed up, I promise, it's not entirely random. Almost loosely based upon 'My Life As Liz' if you're a squinter. I'm illiterate, and lazy, so if that's an issue, well, yikes. Rating may vary.
1. Stop Please I Wanna Go Home

"Hey."

"Neigh."

"Cute. You do realize, you're on the floor."

She scoffs, eyes remaining shut, her head still bobbing in time to the music blaring from the gawky headphones around her neck. Probably some shitty, underground pop punk band. Edward lilts forward, just barely, to hear better. Exactly some shitty, underground pop-punk band. Her expression seems to mimic that of the delivery of the allegedly angry lyrics. "Am I?"

He sits beside her, crossing one leg as to not disturb his prosthetic.

"You're kind of a freak."

The corners of Winry's lips turn up, into the faintest of smiles.

"And you're kind of still here."


	2. You Like A Man With Muscle

It's a Saturday.

Winry uncaps her thermos, teeth gritted tightly. Detention. The word's like a noose. Choking her. Strangling her. Stealing the joy from every pore, and crevice of her being.

Okay, too far. The blonde sighs.

It's a Goddamn Saturday.

Detention on its own is unbearable enough, but detention on a _Saturday_? Her single day of freedom? No work, no school, no dick head parents or floozy, alcoholic Grandma? Ri-fucking-diculous. Damn that Mustang, to the ninth circle of Hell.

Him and his stupid sexist jokes. If Hawkeye didn't have that boy's hide and balls under lock and key, Winry, herself was sure to rip off the former, if not the latter. It's not even as though Winry can handle her temper once he starts spouting off his less than desired opinions. Women kind as a whole would do well without his jabs at the anatomy. Winry's certain Hawkeye took care of him, in her own frightening ways, but Christ would she have loved to have gotten in more than four hits.

She sighs, hunching her shoulders in distain. Golden grades Elric chooses this moment to round the corner with his stupid, big, bright, stupid, adorable, endearing, stupid, attractive, enticing, stupid grin. Winry's eye catches the bruise peeking out from the stupidly exposing cut of his stupidly attractive neckline. He waves at her. "Alphonse," She nods, lamely, hoping with all of her might that he catches her mock seriousness. Luckily Golden Boy has a keen sense of telepathy; He laughs. Winry points to the bruise with a raise of her eyebrows. "Getting into trouble?"

Something, she can tell, flashes behind those stupid, sandy eyes. He wavers, nearly unnoticeably. "Ed caught me. B-baseball," He stammers. Winry blinks. "I'm unamused."

"It's the truth!" He passes her, having to step around her – making Winry thoroughly uncomfortable, as well as disappointed in their lack of contact – as to avoid shoulder-checking the girl.

"Unamused!" She cries, rounding the corner. She's smiling, though, regardless. There's something undeniably sexy about a boy who's not shy about his roughing up. It's almost disappointing when she realizes that the only probable reason for Alphonse being in school on a Saturday would be Saturday baseball practice.


	3. It's Kind Of All I've Got

"I'm fluent in English. Why isn't that enough for you, Educational System?"

"Havoc. Pixie Stix. Away,"

Jean grumbles. It's always like this, when they fail to fulfill their duties as students. More so; when Winry forgets to fulfill her own duties. Everyone becomes a source of information.

Ironically, everyone aside from Havoc.

But his presence was certainly appreciated.

"Go over the notes, one more time, Gear Head," A pillow flew at her from across the room, smacking her square in the face. Winry groaned. "Why aren't we normal students?" She turns to face Edward, eyeing him, warily. "Why didn't we take the lazy route? 'German will be fun!' 'French is lame!'" The blankets hardly have a chance to muffle her whine, as she falls, burying her face into the 'Beauty and the Beast' blanket, carpeting the floor. "No, actually, idiot," Edward throws another pillow. "I believe Hughes offered a steak knife to gouge your eyes out with, and Breda offered to prepare your eulogy."

"Same thing."

Riza practically stews from her position on the window sill, her book sprawled over her lap. These gatherings normally don't bother her, in fact, usually, she's thoroughly entertained by the rag tag group of misfits and their tom foolery. Today, however, she appeared less than thrilled.

"How's pile driving that Mustang, Hawkeye?" Paninya asks, as though reading Winry's thoughts. Riza blanched. And to the shock, and horror of all six rag tags in the room, she sighed, almost defeated. "Allegedly, I'm not," Her head lulled a bit, as to look at Paninya, properly. " Allegedly, Rose is," And the minute the words left Hawkeye's mouth, all five of them were on their feet, in what could have easily been mistaken as a battle stance. Winry scoffed, inwardly. _It's Rose. Of course it's a battle stance._

"Where on Earth would that even… I don't-" Ling grits, lamely.

"Easy, Articulate," Edward raises a silencing hand.

Riza stands, and perturbing her usual stoic personality, she throws her arms out, face drawn tight in disappointment. Winry's shocked to find herself patting down the urge to hug her. "Why would he go along with it?" Hawkeye quite possibly whined, although she'd never admit such.

"Why would _she_ start that?"

"Why would anyone believe it?"

"Why haven't I heard it?"

"So, you're single, then?" Pillows fly at Havoc from every direction. Riza falls back into her seat. The gang soon follows, all circled around her. "It almost makes me feel pathetic- No it _completely _makes me feel pathetic; I actually didn't believe the rumors, at first," Riza laughs, clearly upset with herself. "I thought, you know, considering how close that little clique of deficient, big boob'd, brainless _jerks _used to be with us, it may just be bull honky," Riza sighed. Winry had to swallow back a snort. "I'm genuinely angry, I don't know about the rest of you," Ling shrugs. Hawkeye actually thumps the side of his head, with an outright guffaw. "Of course we're genuinely angry! Rose is a total jerk head!"

"A jerk head, indeed!" Winry echoes. Edward runs a hand through his hair, irritation more than evident. "Alright, _children,_" He grits. "What courses of action are we taking, here?" A heavy silence, follows.

Winry let her head fall to her hands. "I'll have to chat up your brother's girlfriend," She groans. Ed places a hand on the small of her back, awkwardly. The girl had practically tackled Edward to the floor of the school's hallway with the realization of her crush on his younger brother. Needless to say, the entire situation had been very uncomfortable.

Hawkeye's expression leaves its disdainful frown, falling into a grimace of sympathy. Though for Winry or for Edward, she couldn't be sure.

"Mei's not that…"

"Havoc."

"I mean she has _some_ redeeming qualities, if you…"

"Jean."

"It's not…"

"Nothing, and I mean nothing, will justify your need to dry hump all living things."

"I-"

"Sorry; All living, and certain non-living things."

Havoc falls onto his back with a thud. "As a girlfriend, she wasn't so bad," He tries, again. Winry exhales, loud enough to be annoyed, not loud enough to be genuinely sad. "I'm so glad I know that," She sits up.

Everyone, save Winry, catches Edward's look of misery upon seeing his best friend so upset over his brother.


End file.
